Fuse plug



March 30, 1926. 1,578,684

A. G. RICE FUSE PLUG File-,d June 11. 1925 2 sheets-Sheet 1 March 30 1926. 1,578,684

A. G. RICE I FUSE PLUG Filed June 1 1, 1923 2 sheets-sheet ing material.

Patented Mar. 30, 1926.

ALVA G. RICE, 0F DANVILLE, IOWA.

' FUSE PLUG.

Application filed June 11, 1923.

T0 (IZZ 20720127, it may concern 1 Be it known that I, nLvA GZVRIGE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Danvillc, in the county of Des Moines and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and use ful Improvements in Fuse Plugs, of which th following is a specification reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to improvements in fuse plugs. and the object of the invention is to provide a fuse plug peculiarly designed to be used in connection with the lighting systems of Ford cars and which may be used in place of the usual plug socket that is disposed at the back of the headlight.

A further object is to provide a device of this character which is very simple, which can be cheaply made, and which may be readily applied, and which is further provided with a cover which will normally close the opening through which the fuse is withdrawn.

Other objects will appear in the course of the following description.

My invention is illustrated in the accompanving drawings, wherein Figure 1 s a side elevation of an automobile headlight somewhat diagrammatic in character. showing my fuse plug attachment applied thereto; 7

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the fuse plug;

Figure 3 is a s de elevation through a slightly modified form of fuse plug partly in section;

Figure 4c is a cross section through the plug with the cover closed;

Figure 5 is a section on the'line 5'5 of Figure 7; '1

FigureG is a longitudinal section of the plug, the clamps and the contact members being in elevation;

' Figure 7 is a section on the line 7 -7 of Figure 5; a 4

In Figures 1 to 4: of the drawings. 1O designates a' cylinder which may be made of metal or any other suitable material and might be made, for instance; of non-conduct- This cylinder is cut away to provide an elliptical opening 1.1.

Mounted within the cylinder adjacent one end of the opening is a spring clamp 12, and mounted in the cylinder adjacent the other end of the opening is the spring clamp 13. These clamps may be attached to the cylinder in any sui ab e maaiierand a e d gned ing in the case.

the electric lighting system.

Serial No. 644,670.

to carry between them the fuse lat consisting of a glass shell having the usual fuse wire 15 therein and metallic terminals 16.

Disposed in one end of the cylinder 10 is a plug 17 of'insulating material through which extend the two spaced contacts 18 and 19, these contacts terminating in heads on the extremities of the plug. This plug projects beyond the case 10 and is provided with the outwardly projecting, oppositely d'sposedstuds 20. The opposite end of the case 10 has inserted therein a hard rubber block 21 which is provided at its outer end with the two contact pins 22 and 23. Each of these pins is provided at its inner end with ahead 24 dis ose within a cavity in the block and bearing against this head 2% is a spring 25. In the opposite end of each block there is formed a socket 26, 'lhetwo sockets 26 are designed to receive electric wires 27 and 28. The wire 28 constitutes the end of a conductor 30 dsposed within the case 10 and thoroughl insulated, this conductor extending through the lower portions of the clamps or through the case itself without passing through the clamp. Preferably, however, the conductor is disposed within'the clamps 12 and 13. This conductor connects to the contact 19, while the contact 18 is connected by means of a wire 31 to the clamp 13 and the clamp 12 is connected by the w re427 to the member 26 and thus to the contact 22.

Surrounding the case is a cover 33 which is cylindrical in form, loosely embraces the case so as to rotate thereon, and is formed with an eliptical opening 34: conforming in shape and len th to the elliptical open- This cover may be rotated into position to close theopening in the case or rotated to a position to disclose said opening The case 10 projects beyond the "block 21 and is formed with bayonet slots 35 whereby'it may be connected to a plug in The studs 20 onthe plug 17 are adapted to engage with the bayonet slots of a socket which forms the terminals of'the wires leading to the electric lamp. a v A In Figure 3, 1- illustrate a slight modification where exactly the same construction is employed except that the wire 30 is omitted and the wires from contacts 19 and 26 are accordingly connected to cylinder 10 so that this cylinder constitutes a conductor. Inasmuch as the construction is of exactly Ill) the same form as that illustrated in Figure 2, the same reference numerals are used.

A device of this kind will prevent the bulbs from burning out on automobile and other headlights and is especially adapted for use on Ford cars where the generator feeds to the lamps as well as to the battery and where, therefore, the current fluctuates or varies within relatively large limits. The device may be readily disengaged from the fuse clamp and a new fuse put in place whenever the old fuse is burned out. The construction shown in Figure 2 shows the we ems such as is used on Ford cars, but l do not wish to be limited to this, as the holder might be made, as before stated, for a one v istein,

I l, 1 illustrate a moditied and pre erable form of my construction vherein the body is forn'ied of a solid piece of insu ating material cut away to form a reces 37 upon the upper face of the plug, the bottom of this recess extenddiametrically with relation to the body (L Disposed below the recess and extendng longitiulinally through. the plug and refer-ably molded therewith is the metallic conductor 38 which projects slightly beyond one end of the body 36. At its opposite end this n'ietallic conductor is recessed, as at 39, and. carries within it the coiled con'iprcssion spring 40 and this bears upon a pin &1 which is projected out of the end of the re ccss 39, the wall of this recess 39 being turned over so as to limit the projection of the pin.

Extending in one end of the body 36 is a metallic conductor 42 which extends into the recess 37 and is there connected to the body -i3- of a clamp ll. This is a metallic clamp of the same character the clamp heretofore described. Extending into the opposite end of the body 86 is a metallic conductor which is recessed at one end to enclose the spring 46 and the head of a pin t? against which the spring bears. The inner end of this conductor is electric. lly connected to the body portion 43 of a second spring c all} having a pair of jaws 4st of 1113 character as those previously del OCCL Disposed bet-ween the jaws and en -d thereby is'the fuse pro; consisting an outer glass cylindrical casing d8 hav- 2; meta lic caps L9 at; its ends. Disposed 'lass casing is a fuse w re 50 which is en with the cap The caps, of course, llzlvfi electrical enga .ment with the metallic clamps-44f and ti se with the conductors 42 and respectively The operation of this mechanism is pre cisely the same heretofore described for l io'ures L 2, and l. A rotary cover 51 is n'iount d upon the cylindrical body 36 so that it in y be rotated to close the recess 37 or uncover this recess, This cover bears In Figures 53, t5

at. one end against a shoulder 52 formed on a metal sleeve which surrounds the body and over which the cover operates, this sleeve leing, of course, cutout above the cess 37. The sleeve at one end has bayonet slots 54 for connection to the plug of a lighting cord and this sleeve :33 teri'ninates short of the other end of the body 36 so that the plug may fit into the socket o'j'the reflector, the end of the body having radial pins 55 engagiim with the usual bayonet slots of the usual socket within which the light disposed in said reflector.

I claim 1. A fuse plug for headlights including a cylindrical member having an opening on one face, clamps disposed within said membar and immediately opposite said openin a fuse adapted to be disposed in said clamps, and electrical connections passing from the clamps through the extremities of the member.

A fuse plug for headlights including a cylindrical casing having an opening in one face, clamps disposed within said casing and immediately opposite said opening, a (use adapted to be disposed in said clamps, contact members supported within the ends of the casing and insulated therefrom, and electrical coi'in'eetions from said clamps to said contact members.

3. A fuse plug for headlights including a cylindrical casing having an opening on one face, clamps disposed within said casing and opposite said opening, a fuse adapted to be disposed in said clamps, a pair of axially aligned contact members disposed in the ends of the casing but. insulated therefrom, electrical connections extending from each clamp to the adjacent contact member, and an insulated conductor extending entirely through the casing but insulated therefrom.

4. A fuse plug for headlights including a cylindrical body recessed upon one face, a pair of fuse clamps mounted in said recess and adapted to support a fuse between them, a conductor extending inward from one end of the body and engaging one of said clamps, a conductor extending through the other end of the body and engaging the other clamp said. last named conductor being recessed at one end, a spring disposed in said recess, a pin hearing against said spring and projected outward from the end ofthe; conduct0r,,a conductor extending longitudinally through the body below the first namedconductor and recessed at one end, a spring disposed in said recess, and a pin engaged in said-recess and projected by the spring.

fuse plug for headlights including icylindrica'l member of insulating mate-rial clamps and electrically engaged therewith, oppositely disposed conductors embedded in the member and electrically connected one with each clamp, a spring projected pin engaged with one of said conductors, and a conductor extending entirely through the member and having at one end a spring projected pin.

6. A fuse plug for headlights including a cylindrical body recessed upon one face, a pair of fuse clamps mounted in said re cess and adapted to support a fuse between them, a conductor extending inward from one end of the body and engaging one of said clamps, a conductor extending through the other end of the body and engaging the other clamp, said conductor being recessed at one end, a spring disposed in said recess, and a pin bearing against said spring and projected outward from the end of said conductor, a conductor extending longitudinally through the body below the first named conductor, the last named conductor being recessed at one end, a spring disposed in said recess, and a pin engaged in the recess and projected by the spring.

7. A fuse plug for headlights including a cylindrical body recessed upon one face, a pair of fuse clamps mounted in said recess and adapted to support a fuse between them, a conductor extending inward from one end of the body and engaging one of said clamps, a conductor extending through the other end of the body and engaging; the other clamp, said conductor being recessed at one end, a spring disposed in said recess, a pin bearing against said spring and projected outward from the end of said conductor, a conductor extending longitudinally through the body below the first named conductor, the last named conductor being recessed at one end, a spring disposed in said recess, a pin engaged in the recess and projected by the spring, and a rotatable cylindrical cover mounted upon the body and adapted to be rotated into a position over said recess or into position to disclose the recess, the body having a shoulder against which the cover bears.

8. A fuse plug for headlights including a cylindrical non-conducting body recessed upon one face, a pair of fuse clamps mounted in said recess and adapted to support a fuse between them, a conductor extending inward from one end of the body and engvg'aging one of said clamps, a conductor extending through the other end of the body and engaging the other clamp, a conductor extending longitudinally through the body below the first named conductor, both of said conductors at one end being recessed, springs disposed in said recesses, and pins bearing against said springs and projecting outward from the ends of said conductors, a metallic sleeve surrounding the body and extending beyond the body at the end where the spring projected pins are located, this sleeve at this end having bayonet slots,

the body at its opposite end being formed with outwardly projecting, radial pins.

In testnnony whereof l hereunto aifix my signature.

ALVA G. RICE. 

